This invention pertains to a structure and method for interconnecting a plurality of stacked printed circuit boards.
In order to reduce the costs in the manufacture of television (TV) instruments, it is necessary to automate factory assembly lines. A major effort in this area is the development of an Advanced Instrument Line (AIL) for automating the assembly of modular TV components. The AIL system comprises several automatic-assembly work stations where one or more modular components are accurately located for assembly and subjected to a mechanized assembly operation.
One cost effective approach used in the automatic assembly of TV instruments in an AIL is to assemble parts in layers in a stack to form a compact unit or module. This approach can be utilized to satisfy the modular demands of a varied product mix for future TV instruments. The effectiveness of the approach is largely dependent on successful design treatment of the wired interconnections between printed circuit (PC) boards. Typically, the PC boards have spaced contact areas at the edges thereof and are interconnected by various connectors which are relatively costly. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,245,876 and 4,028,794, both issued to Ritchie et al., disclose a laminated connector and method for making same comprising a plurality of identical elongated metal contacts, each of which is a resilient spring, spaced along a continuous web of insulative material which serves to locate the contacts in desired positions and provides an insulation back or cover for the contacts. The present invention provides a structure and method for automatically interconnecting a layered assembly of printed circuit boards which is fast and accurate, and eliminates the expense and unreliability of conventional connectors.